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Sue Spitulnik

Writing, Sewing, Travel, and Thoughts

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National Grab Some Nuts Day

So, do you know what kind of nuts are in the picture?  Are they all tree nuts?  Be honest.  Did you think of the actual meaning of nuts when you saw the word, or did you think of a bit of human/animal anatomy?

This day is a compilation of recognized types of nuts.  Almonds, walnuts, and hazel nuts are tree nuts. Peanuts are legumes.  The pods develop underground.  I had to look up the pictures to prove it to myself.

On to what you really thought of when you saw the name of the day.  The more I write, the more I notice about human nature.  Humans tend to see things in a sexual manner if at all possible.  No, I don’t have any proof of that; it is just an observation.

Outside the stock exchange in New York City there is a huge statue of an anatomically correct bull with long horns and huge “hangy-down things” under the tail.  When my adult son saw the statue he crawled under it to have his picture taken with the impressive pair.  Guys do things like that just like they look at a pretty female.  It doesn’t bother me.  I’m human too and my mind goes that direction also.

The next time you want a good source of protein, grab some nuts to eat.  Or, the next time you go to a baseball game, have a bag of peanuts.  It’s tradition!

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National Cheesecake Day

Until I went to Time Square in New York City, I had never had a three inch high, fluffy, more than delicious, piece of cheesecake.  Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.  It was nine years ago in December.  I had never been to New York City before so my husband and his son were showing me some of the sights;  Macy’s Christmas Window displays, Rockefeller Square with the ice skaters and Christmas tree, and honking taxis.  My legs and back were yelling for rest.  We went into “The Brooklyn Diner” because it was the closest restaurant with no waiting line.  A foot long Nathan’s hotdog was $15.00.  I don’t remember what I had as my meal, but I wanted to try New York Cheesecake.  I can honestly say I had never tasted such a delicate but pronounced cheese flavor, and not too sweet.  Previously, what I had been served with the same name, not in NYC, was a dense, heavy paste that stuck to your fork and the roof of your mouth, sometimes more lemony than cheesy, often covered with chocolate syrup or strawberries.  I swore I would never eat cheesecake any place else, ever again because I knew it wouldn’t be as good.

Three years later, I had the opportunity to spend another day in NYC.  My adult daughter and I flew down for the day.  We had breakfast at a deli that she had been to in the past.  The Turkish coffee was hot and strong, but not bitter.  We spent the morning walking in and out of the stores in the garment district, thankful our men weren’t with us.  They would have been bored beyond measure.  I insisted we go back to “The Brooklyn Diner” for a cheesecake lunch.  It was good as I remembered.  We then went to enjoy CHICAGO on Broadway.  It was fantastic.  Even more so because we have a family member in the cast.  We walked some more, then found a place to have supper.  I had an elk burger and a beer.

It was all I could do to stay awake while waiting to board the plane to fly home.  That day was probably the best day I have ever spent with my only daughter.  We laughed, saw some interesting things, shared dreams and good food, saw our first Broadway play, and bonded.  But you know what I remember the most.  The cheesecake.  Our two pieces of cheesecake and coffee for lunch cost more than our two dinners and drinks for supper.  It was worth every penny and I’d do it again tomorrow if I could.

 

 

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National Chicken Wing Day

Now that I have your attention, let’s have a little fun.  The following sentence will include five, yes, five, national days.

Let’s get gnarly about chicken wings for an appetizer, lasagna for the main course, then after dinner put on fresh lipstick while talking in the elevator.  It’s also System Administer Appreciation day (that refers to your IT person.  I had to look it up.)

According to the calendar of national days, get gnarly means get excited, or worked up about.  I don’t know about you, but someone just mentioning chicken wings gets my saliva glands excited.  I live very near the original home of Buffalo Wings so I’ve had some really good ones.  It seems they are smaller than they used to be.  And now they have so many sauces it’s hard to keep track of which I like best.

Moving on to lasagna.  It’s one of the things my husband doesn’t order in a restaurant anymore because he is always disappointed.  It’s never as good as mine.  I’ll share one of my secrets.  Make it ahead without cooking the noodles, then freeze it.  Let it thaw slowly, then heat through until bubbly hot.  The freezing and thawing melds the flavors more.  Oh, another tip, I use a lot of oregano.

Now that dinner is over, fresh lipstick is a must.  If you wear it.  I don’t.  My lips aren’t even and it’s apparent if I put lipstick on.  Besides, I just chew it off.

So now all we have to do to make the day complete is talk in an elevator.  This refers to actually speaking to someone you don’t know while riding between floors instead of staring at the door, the numbers, or your phone.  I’ll even let you get away without making eye contact.  All you have to do it say, “Have a good day.”  You never know, it just might be the nicest thing the other person has heard all day.  I promise it won’t hurt you.

Let’s get back to those chicken wings.  When my generation was young, eating the wing was not a treat, unless you liked the crispy skin.  Then some genius decided to make them a delicacy by putting hot sauce on them.  Have you ever paid attention to the number of pounds consumed, or maybe it’s sold, for that big football game the first weekend in February.  It doesn’t really matter in the scheme of things, but I think if you knew, you could win a bet about it in order to get a beer to go with your wings the next time you have them.

 

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National Milk Chocolate Day

When I was little I watched “Sky King,” “Mighty Mouse,” “The Rifleman,” “Felix the Cat,” and “My Friend Flicka.”  Commercials weren’t quite so insulting to the intelligence back than.  Maybe it was because I was a naïve youngster and didn’t know the difference.  One of my favorite’s was Farfel the dog singing about NESTLE’S Chocolate.  Nestle’s Quick came out in 1948, even before I was born.  There has usually been a box in the cupboard no matter where I have lived.  (Makes great flavoring for frosting especially if you want a brown color.)  My grandson prefers HERSHEY’S syrup.  He likes to squeeze the bottle!

My father was very difficult to buy Christmas presents for.  You could guarantee he got work clothes, underwear, cashews, and CADBURY Milk Chocolate with fruit and nuts.  We never dared sneak a square off the bar because it would be too noticeable.

Today there are many more companies that make milk chocolate.  One can stand for a few minutes in any big grocery store candy aisle contemplating whether to try an international brand or stay with an old stand by.  I don’t waste my time.  I buy what I know is good and no one will complain about.  M&M’s.

When my husband and I first started dating, he would bring me flowers and M&M’s every couple of weeks.  Just because.  I had to ask him to stop with the M&M’s.  I can’t leave them alone if they are in the house.  When we go to the neighbor’s to play cards, the M&M bowl calls to me from the doorway.  Thankfully candy bars don’t do that.

I can’t think of anyplace I have worked that at least once a week a fellow employee hasn’t said, “I need chocolate!”  It’s a real necessity in an office.  Even when I worked in a quilt shop, there was a secret stash of Hershey’s kisses.  You had to be “in the know” to know where they were hidden.

I’ve had the opportunity to visit Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco a couple of times.  If you look up toward the city proper there is the Ghiradelli Chocolate Company.  Take a ride in a cable car and visit it if you get the chance.

And we can’t forget Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Hanukkah.  What would we do without our chocolate treats on those days?  Any day is a good day for chocolate, milk or otherwise.

P.S.  In my novel, Secret Lifelines, (not yet published) Rick brings See’s chocolates to Millie.  See’s is a Pacific Northwest favorite.

 

 

 

 

 

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